Ah yes, the sweet feel of stepping on the mat. That feeling of taking the new Gi out of it’s package or the newest DVD instructional video coming the the mail. Let’s not forget the long online viewing of the IBJJF worlds. You know what I’m talking about! The obsession that could almost warrant rehab for some of us! Why does Jiu Jitsu consume some of us? What causes this addiction to run wild?
My first class was mind blowing! I went in thinking that this should be easy and that there is no way anyone was going to get the better of me. I was wrong! I had to learn more, was this something I could learn?? So I went home and obsessed over it, “how did he do that to me??” I went to my second class, then my third, and so on, and since then my life has been swallowed by Jiu Jitsu! I can’t get enough and every time I learn something new I have to know how to stop it. This is what drives me every day! This is my drug of choice.
Some people start out normal, you know, come to class twice a week and then go home as if it’s just another day. These people are usually not lifers. But then you have those, like myself, that are instantly baptised into the sea of Jiu Jitsu! Only coming up for air when it’s time to act like an adult. We go to class as often as possible. Even in our time away from the academy we watch videos, practice on our kids, or even talk to our fellow addicts on Facebook or Twitter. Is there such a thing as to much Jiu Jitsu? Hmmm what do you think?
Jiu Jitsu connects to everyone differently, there is something about it that embeds itself into every aspect of our lives. Either it’s the connection we build with our own bodies or the mental growth that makes us not have to think about what we should do next. I believe both of these make us better people. We focus a lot more on our health. We start eating better, we excercise more, and we tend to not do to many stupid things that might hurt ourselves. All of this just to make our Jiu Jitsu better.
I honestly don’t have an answer as to why this happens. Do I think there is such a thing as to much? Well of course not! I’m pretty sure I could just take a pillow and blanket with me and never leave the school!
What is your story?
I would like to ask all of our readers to just post a comment and let us know what drives you to return to the mats every time or what made you go to your first class. I’m sure the reasons are endless. We would all love to know yours.
Roll safe and often!! Oss!!!
BJJ is my drug of choice. I have loved it from the beginning but I’ve also been through some periods of lower activity. I can recall the exact moment I became addicted, though. It was the day before my first divorce hearing in court. I was super anxious, couldn’t sleep the night before. Lots of crazy thoughts running through my head about how badly this could go, financial pressures, custody issues, etc… I met with a regular training partner and we rolled fairly hard for about an hour and a half straight. No water breaks. No stopping. Just played the game for an hour and a half. When I got off the mat that day I took a deep breath and realized how much peace I felt. All the anxiety was gone. Mentally I felt calm, emotionally I felt stable, and physically I was exhausted but content. It makes me emotional remembering that moment. It changed my life.
BJJ saved me that day and continues to steady my mind and push my body. I will never go back.